Draymond Green Takes a Shot at Rudy Gobert For Getting Benched in the Olympics

Madison Williams | Aug 7, 2024

Nov 12, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) celebrates behind Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) after scoring a three point basket during the first quarter at Chase Center. / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Rudy Gobert was shockingly taken out of Team France's starting lineup against Team Canada in the Olympic men's basketball quarterfinals game on Tuesday.

French national team coach Vincent Collet told reporters after the game, in which Gobert played for three minutes, that the center is dealing with a finger injury. Additionally, Collet noted a change in the lineup for this specific matchup.

Regardless of the reasoning for Gobert's benching, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green dissed his fellow NBA player for sitting out in an Olympic game. To Green, not playing many minutes in an Olympic game as an NBA player for a team other than Team USA is "kind of crazy."

"To be taken out of the lineup on any other team in the Olympics as an NBA player, not named Team USA, is kind of crazy," Green said on The Draymond Green Show.

"To be taken out of the lineup on any other team in the Olympics as an NBA player, not named Team USA is kind of crazy"

—@Money23Green reacts to Rudy Gobert getting benched for France pic.twitter.com/YqhOwmuwBd

— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) August 7, 2024

The irony of his comment, though, is that Green isn't competing in the Olympics this year, despite playing on Team USA in Rio and Tokyo.

Team France ended up beating Canada 82–73 on Tuesday. In Gobert's three minutes of play time, he totaled zero points, one rebound, one turnover and one personal foul. France will face Germany in the semifinal on Thursday. It's unknown if Gobert will be in the starting lineup for that matchup.